Year 5, Issue 5

The Mexican Embassy in Sweden

wish you a happy

Candlemas day

Embamex SueciaNovember - December

Newsletter

On November 2nd, the Day of the Dead celebration took place at the Ethnographic

Museum in Stockholm. More than 150 people attended the opening ceremony. The

Mexican Ambassador, Francisco del Río, inaugurated the event.

During his speech, Ambassador del Río spoke about the traditional Altar, its symbolisms,

and its meaning in the Mexican culture. The Ambassador embraced the opportunity to

invite the public to visit Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebration, so that they

could take part in this unique expression of the Mexican culture. The event had the

valuable participation of the Mexican Dance Group Mexico Lindo and the Mariachi

Fiesta Mexicana.

Mrs. Mayte Calderón was also present, she was in charge of the Altar and on this

particular occasion she made the offering in honour to her father, the Spanish-Mexican

actor and writer Mr. Alvaro Calderón Abde. The Ambassador congratulated her for this

initiative that she has led for several years.

Culture

“Day of the Dead” celebration at the Ethnographic Museum,

Stockholm

“Day of the Dead” Festival 2019 in Gothenburg

During the week of October 26 toNovember 2, some activities took place tocommemorate the “Day of the Dead” at theMuseum of the Cultures in Gothenburg,Sweden. This was made possible thanks tothe efforts of several associations of theMexican community, coordinated by theMexican Association of Gothenburg.

The inaugural event took place on October26, with the participation of the MariachiFiesta Mexico and the regional dance balletMexicas. Thanks to the culinary artist AnaTolentino, the community was able to enjoypan de muerto and tamales.

They set up a traditional altar of the deadfor the third consecutive year, which on thisoccasion was in memory of the graphicartist José Guadalupe Posada. This time,members of the Association producedseveral altarpieces from recyclablematerials. Texts with a pedagogicalbackground were written for the altar, byteacher Claudia Ekenberg, with help ofAnders Ekenberg and Lupita Álvarez.

Among the activities to be highlightedare the sections to create typicalCalaveras, taught by Gisela Maya andVíctor Sandino; the Workshop of Piñatas,by Katia Ibarra; the lithography exhibition,Tribute to José Guadalupe Posada, by thegraphic artist from Skövde BerndtJutemar; the Papel Picado workshop,imparted by the Organization Alas, andthe Special Effects Makeup workshop,offered by the specialist artist Miguel delToro.

On the other hand, the artist Lia Díaz, withhelp of Anders Ekenberg, painted anacrylic mural with Tehuanas andAlebrijes, which the public couldapproach and take a picture of.

Attendees also enjoyed the short films “Historias de la Ciudad”, directed by young peoplefrom the city of Xalapa, where they shared their experiences of violence in Veracruz. Thisevent was organized by the Association “Solidaridad con Ayotzinapa”, in collaboration withthe Ibero-American Forum of Cinematographic Studies and the University of Xalapa.

On October 30, an experimental performance of the band S.P.A.C.E. composed electro-acoustic music to add sound the movie ¡Qué viva México! (Eisenstein, 1930). The closingceremony was held on November 2, with the participation of the musical group Rancherosdel Mundo, and the regional dance ballet Danza Mexicas.

On November 2, the “Day of the Dead”

was celebrated in the city of Malmö,

Sweden. The Cultural Association

“Mexikanska kulturföreningen i Skåne”

organized, at the Garaget Library, the

perfect event to enjoy a cultural

afternoon dedicated to recreate most

of the traditions related to the “Day of

the Dead”.

Exhibition “Day of the Dead” in Malmö

During the evening, there were two special

speeches, the first one called “Our day of the

dead altar: a tribute to environmental activists

from Latin America,” which was related to the

shrine of the dead of this year.

The second presentation was called “The

Worldview of the Day of the Dead and its pre-

Hispanic symbology”. It compared the vision of

death in Mexico, Sweden, and other cultures. The

celebration ended with the presentation of the

folk dance group “Corazón Mexicano”.

The program offered the audience the

possibility of being part of different

activities, such as elaborating crafts and

participating in the reading of some

traditional literary Calaveritas. The

activities were carried out in Spanish,

English, and Swedish.

On November 15, we celebrated the Mexican

Gastronomy Day, with a "Mexican cooking class" taught

by Mexican chef Luis Noriega at the facilities of the third

and most recent branch of the Matvärlden supermarket

in Vällingby, Sweden.

This activity paid tribute to traditional Mexican cuisine

and promoted Mexican products. These actions will

contribute to popularize authentic Mexican cuisine in

Sweden and encourage the Mexican imports.

Mexican Gastronomy Day

Stockholm International Film Festival 2019

On November 17, the 30th Edition of the

Stockholm International Film Festival

concluded. In this edition, 150 films from 60

different countries were screened, and 80

international directors and producers were

present to discuss and answer questions from

the audience.

Mexico was present with the participation of

the film Sanctorum, by Mexican Director

Joshua Gil, who was nominated to obtain “The

Bronze Horse” for “Best Director.”

How to contribute to the ideas about Mexico and Mexicans in Sweden and vice versa

I set out to participate in the organization of actions and events, in which culture is

experienced and collectively lived, so the participants get a story to tell. In 2015, with the

academic support of cultural promoters at the Universidad Iberoamericana and the

University of Skövde, groups of students from both countries collaborated in

experimental workshops about stories told in video games. We find meeting places in

the digital culture and explore its potential.

Along with my husband Per Fredén, I am constantly looking for exchange students and

academics from Mexico at the University of Skövde to bring them to learn about the

cultural and tourist wealth of the region where I live: Västra Götaland.

Inquiring the footsteps of other Mexicans in the region, I discovered an enormous

interest in Mexico, strengthened by the presence of artists and academics who once

lived in Sweden. The Rizoma Gallery in the center of Falköping, is an example of a corner

of Mexico, where you can find Mexican food, and you can see around the city some

"street art" of some young Mexican artists.

Recently, a master's degree is taking me with some frequency to travel to Gothenburg,

where there are many Mexicans! I was fortunate to join the Mexican Association of

Gothenburg, an enthusiastic, open, and young team that gathers other Mexican

associations to participate in events where our traditions live, such as the celebration of

the “Day of the Dead” and the traditional Posada.

These were unique opportunities to integrate a lithographic exhibition and electro-

acoustic concert by Skövde artists and scholars into the festivities. For next year, I am

already managing collaborations to carry out new forms of cultural exchange, related

with Mexican corn, archaeology and folk art.

Mexicans in Sweden

Guadalupe Álvarez

• Based in Sweden since 2012.

• Art historian from the Universidad Iberoamericana, with

experience in mobile telecommunication, media

research, aesthetics and digital narrative.

• Master's degrees from the University of Skövde and

soon from the University of Gothenburg.

Tourism

Travel News Market 2019

On November 7, the fourth edition of the

Travel News Market 2019 tourism fair took

place at the Waterfront Congress Center in

Stockholm, Sweden. The main objective of the

Tourism Fair is to facilitate the creation of

relationships between agents, operators,

airlines and representatives of various tourist

destinations.

The Embassy of México, successfully

participated in the fair by being a member of

the Association of Representatives of National

Tourism Offices (ANTOR). In this edition,

organized by the magazine of the tourism

industry Travel News, 1,300 visitors and 225

exhibitors were registered.

The Mexican Embassy organized a work agenda for

the trade mission to Sweden of businessman Jorge

Guajardo Hesles, founder of Mezcal Jaral de Berrio.

An informational meeting was held on October 31 at

the headquarters office of state liquor stores,

Systembolaget. Likewise, various meetings took

place between importers and distributors of

alcoholic beverages, interested in knowing the

product. This product is expected to be introduced

in the Swedish market in the near future.

Dissemination of the Mezcal

Responsable de la publicaciónMariana A. Ramírez González Encargada de Comunicación Social maramirezg@sre.gob.mx

Mexican Spirits Gala 2019

Economy, Trade and Investment

On December 2, the “Mexican Spirits Gala 2019” took place at the Official Residence of

Mexico. The aim of the gala was the tasting of different brands of tequila, mezcal, and

other agave distillates, in order to promote these products within the HoReCa sector

(Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering).

On this occasion, prizes were awarded in the following categories: Best Mexican

Restaurant to Mexikanska Monarkin (Mexican Monarchy), Best New Mexican Restaurant to

Chelas, and Best Bartender of 2019 to Josephine Sondlo.